If you want to see loads of water monitors - go for a walk along the river boundary at the malelane sun hotel - its a long walk and allows you close up views of many animal species ( saw 20 monitors , white tailed mongoose , hippos , buffalo , crocodiles - also saw leopard tracks on the wrong side of the fence! )

The Nile monitor is the largest lizard in Africa and also one of the most widespread. It is known from all parts of Africa except desert regions (Mertens 1942, Luxmoore et al 1988). More than a hundred years ago Nile monitors were reported to live in Palestine (Tristram 1888).

Nile monitors are found almost wherever there are permanent bodies of water. They are absent from deserts but present in most other habitats, from grasslands and desert fringes to rainforests, where they are found along rivers, swamps, pools, lakes and seashores. They will readily inhabit human settlements and cultivations where they are not persecuted. Barbour & Loveridge (1928) record them as high as 2000m above sea level.

Nile monitors are most often seen basking on rocks and branches or in the water. Adults can easily outrun people over short distances, even over open ground and will almost invariably make for water when pursued. They retreat to burrows and abandoned termite mounds at night, but in warm weather they may remain outside, sleeping on branches or half submerged in water.

During the dry season in tropical Africa and in the cooler months in temperate regions activity is reduced or suspended (Cowles 1930, Cisse 1971). Juveniles are better at climbing than adults, but even large Nile monitors will climb readily.

Large female Nile monitors can lay enormous clutches of eggs. According to Loveridge (1934) up to 60 eggs are produced in a single clutch.

For more information click the link in the top of this post.

Not posting much here anymore, but the photo's you can follow here There is plenty there.

Feel free to use any of these additional letters to correct the spelling of words found in the above post: a-e-t-n-d-i-o-s-m-l-u-y-h-c